YOUR PASTOR IS NOT YOUR MEASURE OF HOLINESS

Hebrews 12:2 (AMPC)

“Looking away [from all that will distract] to Jesus, Who is the Leader and the Source of our faith [giving the first incentive for our belief] and is also its Finisher [bringing it to maturity and perfection]. He, for the joy [of obtaining the prize] that was set before Him, endured the cross, despising and ignoring the shame, and is now seated at the right hand of the throne of God.”

Dear people of God, when a preacher of the gospel is involved in a scandal, it is usually a sad and shameful event in the sense that it brings great dishonour not just to the Church, the body of Christ but also to our Leader, Founder, Saviour, Messiah, the Lord Jesus Christ Himself.

In fact, for a Christian who is a new convert or one who takes his pastor as a model of Christian discipline, it is not just discouraging but could lead the person to lose his or her faith and break away from the Church back into unrighteous living.

The person may try to justify his or her action on the premise that even in Church there are sinners who are at the head, then why does he or she have to strive to live holy as often told?

However, it is also pertinent to note that there are several Scriptures that clearly tell us Believers that there shall be false prophets in the last days in which we currently dwell.

One such Scripture is found in 2 Corinthians 11:12-15, “But what I do, I will continue to do, [for I am determined to maintain this independence] in order to cut off the claim of those who would like [to find an occasion and incentive] to claim that in their boasted [mission] they work on the same terms that we do.

13 For such men are false apostles [spurious, counterfeits], deceitful workmen, masquerading as apostles (special messengers) of Christ (the Messiah).

14 And it is no wonder, for Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light;

15 So it is not surprising if his servants also masquerade as ministers of righteousness. [But] their end will correspond with their deeds.”

Here, we see that there are those who are serving satan and camouflaging as ministers of the gospel of Christ. Sadly too, in today’s present world, they are clearly in the majority as we can see from the kind of fruits borne by some professing Christians today.

We also hear the kind of prosperity focused preaching nowadays as against holiness focused preaching of the early Christian times. We hear of scandal after scandal in church congregations involving pastors and their members, pastors and outsiders, yet we also see their members come out openly to defend their immoral and ungodly actions.

So how does one now determine a genuine preacher of the Gospel? The Lord Jesus tells us that by their fruits, we shall know them – Matthew 7:15-16.

What are those fruits by which we could easily identify them? I will list a few here:

(1)Financial fraud – diverting church funds to personal use

(2)Adultery and fornication with church members

(3)Divorce and re-marriage

(4)Consistent Prosperity-focused preaching as against righteousness, holiness and heaven-focused preaching

(5)Tolerance of indecent, ungodly and provocative dressing especially amongst the womenfolk

(6)Consumption of alcohol

(7)Party spirit – factions, sects, divisions with peculiar opinions

(8)Visits to voodoo priests for occultic powers with which to manipulate members

(9)Focus on just miracles as against the Word of God during services

(10) Belief in demonic doctrine of once saved, forever saved regardless of how the person lives afterwards even in clear violation of God’s laws in the Holy Bible.

(11) Inviting comedians to stand on the pulpit to crack immoral and offensive jokes even against the church

(12)  Organizing shows and inviting worldly musicians and playing worldly music

(13)  Immoral dancing during services

(14) They emphasize worldly titles such as Apostle Prophet Doctor or Professor Pastor Prophet, etc.

(15)  Going to nightclubs, bars and casinos

(16) Watching pornography and immoral movies, reading and discussing immoral literature

Dear friend, are you a member of a congregation claiming to be worshipping God through our Lord Jesus Christ but still engaged in at least one of the above practices?

Are you attending church where the founder or leader is neck deep in any one of these vices and you are still defending them? If yes, I will tell you the Truth, you are in the wrong congregation and you need to urgently vacate such place.

You urgently must look for a church congregation where not just the True Word of God is preached and practised by the leader, but the preaching is centred MAINLY on righteous and holy living, and preparing Christians for heaven and preparing Christians for the imminent second coming of Jesus Christ.

You need to enter and fellowship in a Church where the founder or leader’s words and actions are CONSISTENT with the commandments of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Where there is a deviation, then God is not present there and that is the bitter truth.

Remember that today’s lead Holy Bible text above tells us that we should look up to the Lord Jesus Christ, Who is the Leader, Source, Author and Finisher of our Faith in God Almighty.

With God, there are no middle grounds; you are either for Him or you are not. There is nothing like small sin or big sin as far as God is concerned. All wrongdoing is sin and unlike what some pastors are deceiving their members with, there is nothing like “holy sin.”

It is just agents of satan who have allowed themselves to be misled by satan and are now serving satan’s sole mission of sending human beings to HELL that are engaged in such wicked acts and defending it.

Now, if you worship in a Church congregation focused on the Gospel according to the Word of God as against the word of men, then I congratulate you because there are very few such places all over the world.

What is expected of you is contained in Hebrews 13:17 (AMPC), “Obey your spiritual leaders and submit to them [continually recognizing their authority over you], for they are constantly keeping watch over your souls and guarding your spiritual welfare, as men who will have to render an account [of their trust]. [Do your part to] let them do this with gladness and not with sighing and groaning, for that would not be profitable to you [either].”

18 Keep praying for us, for we are convinced that we have a good (clear) conscience, that we want to walk uprightly and live a noble life, acting honourably and in complete honesty in all things.

These Scripture verses show us the attitude of genuine spiritual leaders in verse 18 and the fact that we should pray for them and also encourage them in their work in the Lord’s vineyard.

I also want you to take note as the Lord Jesus Christ revealed to a Sierra Leonean sister some years ago that those who obey His (Jesus’) commands and are doing the right thing according to God’s Word in the Bible are the ones who can rightly be called men of God.

Every other person who is doing and living wrong in disobedience to God’s commands in the Bible whilst claiming to be following Jesus should just be called by their title, which is pastor.

Dear friend, only the Lord Jesus Christ, the Word of God, is our yardstick for measuring righteousness and obedience to God. Do not allow any human being to mislead you into sin or error by sinful lifestyle.

May the good Lord bless you as you heed His Word today, act on it and share with others in the Mighty Name of the Lord Jesus Christ, Amen.

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